If you’re a House junkie, which I must admit shamefully that I am, seeing your favorite drama queens on the House floor, and watching them all jockey for a few more minutes on the Tee Vee outside the chamber, is part of the fun of today’s proceedings.
Though there’s a lot of competition for this title, I’d say that the biggest prima donna in the House is Loretta Sanchez, who represents the D+4 district CA-47. Loretta was always a pretty safe “Yes” vote, but she stirred up some excitement today when it appeared for a short moment that she might hang out at a Florida fundraiser instead of coming back to DC to vote.
Of course that was bullshit. Would someone who sends out Christmas cards like these miss the most important vote she’ll ever take?
(By the way, trivia fans, Loretta’s the only House member in history to serve with her sister, the more progressive and less dramatic Linda (CA-39).)
Brian J
Why is Boehner such a douche? Has the tanning bed fried his brain?
JGabriel
Boehner’s excited.
.
robertdsc
Her cat’s name is Gretzky. Lulz.
Her sister Linda is my rep. Love her. <3
me
Do it Brother Boner.
Cat Lady
Maybe she was surfing the Appalachian Trail?
She doesn’t want to fuck with The Nancy today. No. She. Doesn’t.
eemom
No-Boner looks like he’s had the orange sucked right out of him.
JGabriel
Did Boehner get his hair from a Devo surplus outlet?
.
Shaun
there’s something fishy with the logic here.
salacious crumb
Boehner is so hopping mad he’s gonna poop and pop his orange head.
Brian J
Did Boehner seriously suggest that the Democrats locked the Republicans out of the legislative process? Maybe I am hallucinating, but that’s what I thought him say.
If that’s the case, he’s so far gone from this world, he’s never coming back.
JGabriel
Nancy’s up!
.
mai naem
What???? How come Nancy Pelosi doesn’t have the Nazi armband on? Where’s the hammer and sickle tattoo?
Mike Kay
Man, check out that pussy.
JGabriel
Did the Republicans just boo the president?
Why do they hate America?
.
Violet
Nancy!
Mike Kay
Man, check out Loretta’s puszy
Violet
@JGabriel:
President is a Real American. So technically, they don’t hate America. Wingnut logic. See how easy it is?
Omnes Omnibus
Pelosi is a far better speaker than the Oompa-loompa.
slag
Pelosiiiiiiiii!
Bob K
Finally – a photo from today in D.C. that doesn’t make me want to hurl.
http://wonkette.com/414359/a-childrens-treasury-of-exciting-photos-from-todays-last-gasp-kill-the-bill-hollerfest#comments
Woodrow "asim" Jarvis Hill
Note to Agent Orange: I know you meant the word “comity”, but sounding like you’re saying “bring comedy to the House floor” shows a…well, the same subtly of wit you’re brought to the whole damned debate.
mistermix
I think Nancy’s taken more than a minute for her speech. I’m waiting for a point of order, under House rule 12 (a) subchapter 3 (b) saying that the do-over clause is now active and we need 10 minutes of debate on each side before a vote on the point of order.
carlos the dwarf
Nancy! Nancy! Nancy! Nancy!
TR
Wait, I was led to believe Nancy Pelosi was constantly devouring newborn babies and lighting the American flag on fire.
El Cid
The Orange Boner is shriveling in Nancy’s presence.
Oily Taint
Yeah, Shaun, it’s kind of glaring. Let’s time him…
Nicole
After watching the Dems’ futile attempts at wooing the other side, as the vote draws close, I dedicate this to the GOP:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_50-gOeBilc
SGEW
All politics is personal!
Can I just say how extraordinary it is to see Madam Speaker say that?
Just . . . yeah.
Nicole
After watching the Dems’ futile attempts at wooing the other side over the past year, as the vote draws close, I dedicate this to the GOP:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_50-gOeBilc
Violet
Has Balloon Juice slowed down to a crawl for anyone else?
geg6
Madame Speaker…I love her. Love her, love, love, love her. Love.
Mike Kay
Uh-Oh!
Nancy broke the internets
eemom
Nancy, we’re in DC…….will you marry me?
demo woman
@JGabriel: I did not see that..fortunately, I just put on cnn online when Nancy was speaking.
Nicole
@Woodrow “asim” Jarvis Hill: I heard the same thing, and all I could think was that the GOP has been bringing the comedy all day. I know I laughed a lot.
Omnes Omnibus
@Violet: Yes, we broke Balloon Juice.
mr. whipple
@Violet:
Yes.
Some Guy
Pelosi is doing acknowledgements. Nice. Don’t see many other reps thanking other people. Maybe if Pelosi did a beach shot in a photo studio? Sanchez knows a good picture when someone tells her.
KRK
@Violet: Me too. As soon as Pelosi started talking.
AhabTRuler
OK, those little throat chuckles she just let slip into the mic are kinda scary, but I love me some Madame Speaker of the House.
AkaDad
Y e s.
tammanycall
Teddy’s name & I tear up. Damn.
C. Banana
@Violet:
Yeah, I had about ten minutes when the site wouldn’t load.
carlos the dwarf
Balloon Juice is broken, but health care will soon be fixed! (Partially.)
Violet
@Omnes Omnibus: @mr. whipple:
At least it’s not just me. Thanks.
We’re a bunch of political junkies. “What did you do on Sunday?” “Oh, I watched C-Span all day.” “Sounds like a great day!”
jeffreyw
@Violet: yup
SIA
Great remarks by Ms Pelosi. You go girlfriend. Being a woman is no longer a per-existing condition. Hell yeah!
cincyanon
She was trying to hold her fire for the real debate. Healthcare was easy. Dental care is where all the action is going to be.
SIA
Great remarks by Ms Pelosi. You go girlfriend. Being a woman is no longer a pre-existing condition. Hell yeah!
Bootlegger
200 amendments, now that’s the largest “shut out” in history.
Veteran, Great War of Yankee Aggression
Loretta is my Congresscritter. I am relatively new to the district, lived here just under two years; so I dunno what was up with her today.
The district is mixed Hispanic/ Vietnamese/ Other, mostly working class. She won her last election with 60%.
All of which adds up to a big WTF for me. Unless there were some federal funds that she needed to extract.
Some Guy
Pelosi shouts out to John Lewis! Yes! She is exhausted but damn that is nice. Big “you ain’t a thang” to Republicans too.
Annie
After listening to an awesome Nancy, we are reminded that when it comes to a safety net for all Americans, from kiddies to seniors, it is the Democratic party that has delivered…
demo woman
It’s hard not to tear up.. This has been a long time coming.
Omnes Omnibus
Delaying tactics…
Woodrow "asim" Jarvis Hill
And Here…We…Go.
rob!
I’d rather have my tax dollars go to forced-at-gunpoint abortions or bombing one of those “I” countries than to that Christmas card.
Bootlegger
Here we go. I kinda wish the gutless Dems had taken Boner’s challenge and conducted a voice vote.
James K. Polk, Esq.
Can the dems snatch defeat from teh jaws of victory?
Violet
Counts… I’m nervous… She’s got the votes…right?
KDP
@JGabriel: I heard that.
And, yes, Balloon-Juice got brokeded.
Vote in progress, we’re up to 164 Ayes in first 90 seconds.
I’m confused though. If they are voting on HR3290, why did the recorder read the title of a different bill for extending first-time home buyer’s credit for people in the military? Or did I hear incorrectly?
Up to 181. come on, come on, come on. Where are those last 35 votes? Can’t they do this faster?
Camchuck
Place your bets…
221
Omnes Omnibus
I can’t believe I am watching the vote count….
General Egali Tarian Stuck
Charlie says pass the damn bill. And suck an egg wingnuts.
Mike Kay
@Bootlegger: that would take 2 fucking hours.
Mike E
Boehner gets cock-blocked on a roll call vote. My Guinness is nearly at optimum temperature.
Snarky Pickles
I see one of the ‘baggers outside the Capitol today was carrying a sign with MLK’s famous quote, “Of all forms of inequality, injustice in healthcare is the most shocking and inhumane.”
See the gal at 0:17, with the maroon sign on the left.
Stay classy, ‘baggers. Don’t ever change.
General Egali Tarian Stuck
224
PeakVT
Ok, who broke C-Span? I can’t even get the audio stream.
Sasha
@Nicole:
I’ll see that and raise you this:
“We Are the Champions”
Also include GOP-conniption-inducing potential homoeroticism.
SIA
I’m lost. This is the 1st of 3 votes? Which one is this?
Omnes Omnibus
Vote faster, damn it!
Karmakin
I’m watching for the exact moment in which freeper heads explode.
General Egali Tarian Stuck
@PeakVT: working fine for me.
burnspbesq
@robertdsc:
Loretta gets a pass from me for a reasonable quantity of goofy behavior. She is, after all, the person who broke the Republican stranglehold on OC by taking out the truly odious B-1 Bob Dornan.
mai naem
I think Nancy Drew grew up to be Nancy Pelosi.
Bootlegger
Does anyone know a realtime look at who is voting yea and nay?
WereBear
The suspense is tough.
Speaker of the House sounded great, I thought. A proud moment. A killer suit, too!
Ben S.
184-157 with 10 minutes left…
Camchuck
@PeakVT: I don’t think there is audio during votes. No audio on my cable CSPAN.
jl
I thought Jonny Bones was gonna make them cheap hoods do a voice vote. They using them electronic things?
WTF? How do we know it’s really them voting, and not their reptiloid overlords?
This is an outrage. I am going to go teabag!
RareSanity
Okay, can someone tell me what the damn hold up is?
Dramatic pause?
Gastrointestinal issues have several members in the latrine?
WTF?
Violet
Why does this take so long for them to vote? Arrgh. Tense.
SiubhanDuinne
Wow. Loved LOVED *LOVED* it when she said it was bipartisan b/c there are over 200 Republican amendments in the bill.
(Passing thought: might not those 200+ amendments account for at least a chunk of the much-maligned 2700 pages?)
Yes, I had about 10 minutes where I was just getting a “bad gateway” message. Glad things are back to what passes for normal.
asiangrrlMN
Which vote is this? And yes, the Juice was brokeded for me, too.
@General Egali Tarian Stuck: Awwww! We should have included cute animal pics in the process. That would have won over the naysayers!
220.
mr. whipple
Will there be much rejoicing?
WTF is taking dems so long to vote? Having a spaz here.
CaseyL
They all want their moment in the sun, even if no one knows they’re waiting for it except the other members.
Sucks, because I won’t believe it until I see it, and it’s taking soooo dammnmnmnmnmn looooooong.
asiangrrlMN
203-182, five minutes left. EEPS!
KDP
208-156 with 4:40 remaining. Sheesh! Can they vote any slower?
I think 224
Anya
@Camchuck: 223
Bootlegger
We need 7 of the 17 non-voting Dems in the next 4 minutes.
Some Guy
That’s it, done!
You are welcome America and screw you Glenn Beck. These are never mutually exclusive thoughts.
Omnes Omnibus
GOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLL!!!!!!!!
AhabTRuler
Some fuckers gotta pad out the suspense.
SIA
215!!!!!!
216!!!!!!
Holy shit!
WereBear
Yes we can!
Woodrow "asim" Jarvis Hill
DONE.
America. Fuck Yeah!
Three-nineteen
YES! Now we have to do this two more times? I don’t think I can take it.
Bootlegger
Way too much drama.
JGabriel
And there it is: 217!
.
Karmakin
Booooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
And there it is.
carlos the dwarf
YES WE DID!!!!!!!!!
Dannie22
219!!!
burnspbesq
There it is! 217 with a minute to go.
RareSanity
BTW, Am I just being greedy that I’m pissed that with all of the money I give Comcast, I can’t get C-SPAN in HD?
PeakVT
@Camchuck: Maybe so. Fortunately got the C-1 feed to load in time!
burnspbesq
@Omnes Omnibus:
Golazo golazo golazo!
Woodrow "asim" Jarvis Hill
@AhabTRuler: Also, fuckers gotta ice-skate uphill.
Some Guy
The abortion stuff is just crazy. If this bill does not outlaw abortion it loves abortion. Fucking nutjobs.
burnspbesq
Why is C-SPAN not showing the names of these lame-ass pro-lifers who are speaking in support of the motion to recommit? I want to contribute to their opponents.
SIA
Frustrating! BJ is sloooooow. And if one more person without a uterus yammers on about the unborn I am going to scream.
ETA and Stupak you can just STFU.
Some Guy
Stupak pays his bills. Wow.
RareSanity
Who is this Stupak guy?
I’m not familiar with his work.
burnspbesq
I completely disagree with Stupak’s views on women’s reproductive health issues, but he showed me something with those remarks. The guy might actually be a Democrat.
Some Guy
Motion dead. Awesome. Congress is like soccer. Slow but punctuated with moment.
TimmyB
I believe the Sanchez sisters are twins, so not only are they the first sisters elected to Congress, but they are also the first twins elected.